KUALA LUMPUR – PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang’s conspicuous absence during the tabling of Budget 2024 last Friday has been questioned by political observers over the weekend.
However, Hadi’s political secretary, Abdul Malik Abdul Razak, said the Marang MP had informed the office of the Dewan Rakyat speaker days prior to the sitting.
Malik added that the notice was acknowledged by Tan Sri Johari Abdul’s office.
“I cannot divulge why Hadi could not attend. It is better for the speaker’s office to comment on this because we have sent a letter (notifying him of the absence),” he told Scoop.
This came after a photograph of Hadi’s empty seat was widely shared on social media, with some criticising the PAS leader, who was seen last Friday taking part in the solidarity with Palestine gathering at the Rusila mosque in Marang, Terengganu.
At the lower House, Hadi is seated next to Bersatu chief and Pagoh MP Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim tabled Budget 2024 last Friday, with an allocation of RM393.8 billion, the largest in Malaysia’s history. – October 16, 2023